Appetizers

Greek Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Egg-Lemon Sauce

Makes about 18 stuffed cabbage leaves/Makes about 1 cup of sauce

Greek Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Egg-Lemon Sauce

Makes about 18 stuffed cabbage leaves/Makes about 1 cup of sauce

These Greek-style cabbage leaves stay perfectly intact when cooked in the steamer. Plus, no need to fuss over how much liquid to add to the cooking pot, like in the traditional method made on the stove.

Makes about 18 stuffed cabbage leaves

Makes about 1 cup of sauce

Nutritional information per serving (1 stuffed cabbage):Calories 82 (33% from fat)
carb. 10g
sugars 1g
pro. 3g
fat 1g
sat. fat 1g
chol. 9mg
sod. 163mg
calc. 23mg
fiber 8g Nutritional information per serving (1 tablespoon egg-lemon sauce):Calories 11 (51% from fat)
carb. 0g
pro. 1g
fat 1g
sat. fat 0g
chol. 23mg
sod. 42mg
calc. 4mg
fiber 0g

Ingredients

Stuffed Cabbage:

  • 1 small head cabbage, about 1 pound, trimmed to fit inside the cooking pot
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 small bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 5 scallions)
  • 1 cup rice, uncooked
  • ½ cup water
  • 1¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper, divided
  • ½ cup fresh dill, chopped, plus morefor garnish
  • ½ pound ground lamb (or any other ground meat of your choice)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Egg-Lemon Sauce:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • ½ cup reserved cooking broth, divided
  • Fresh dill optional

Preparation

  1. Put cabbage head into the steamer. Secure lid. Select Vegetable, set timer for 10 minutes and press Start. Once timer expires, remove cabbage from steamer and set aside to slightly cool.
  2. While cabbage is steaming, put 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a medium-sized skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the scallions and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook until transparent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ½ cup water, ½ teaspoon of the salt and a pinch of the pepper; stir until the rice has completely absorbed the water, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove rice mixture from heat and transfer to a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Add dill, ground lamb, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl with the rice mixture. Stir to evenly combine.
  4. Stuff the cabbage leaves by first removing one cabbage leaf from the cabbage head. Put it on a clean surface with the ribs facing up. Use a paring knife to remove the leaf’s core by cutting an upside down “V” into the bottom of the leaf.
  5. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice and meat mixture into the center of the leaf.Gently fold up the bottom of the leaf so that it covers half of the mixture. Fold the right part of the leaf inward and over the mixture; repeat with the left side of the leaf. Using your thumb, roll the leaf with the rice and meat mixture upward so that the leaf seals and the seam faces down. Transfer to the tray inside the steamer. Repeat with the remaining leaves and mixture. Secure lid.
  6. Select Manual, set timer for 1 hour and press Start.
  7. Once timer expires, remove the tray with the stuffed cabbage leaves from the steamer and set aside. Pour 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid from the bottom of the cooking pot into a measuring cup. Discard the rest. Return the steamer tray with the stuffed cabbage leaves to the glass cooking pot. Select Keep Warm and press Start.
  8. While the stuffed cabbage leaves keep warm, put the eggs, lemon juice and salt in a double boiler. Whisk until very foamy, slightly thickened and the temperature reaches 160 º F. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup of the reserved cooking liquid and cornstarch mixture; continue whisking and cook until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. If sauce is too thick, add in the remaining cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
  9. Serve sauce immediately spooned over the stuffed cabbage leaves. If desired, garnish
    with fresh dill.